Overview

• The Directorate of the Royal Palace of Caserta formally called off the July 27 concert without providing an official reason.
• Pressure had mounted over Gergiev’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and his close ties to President Putin.
• Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli had warned the event risked becoming a platform for Russian propaganda.
• Alexei Navalny’s team celebrated the decision on social media while Russia’s ambassador to Italy denounced it as a “scandalous situation.”
• The planned performance was part of the Un’Estate da Re festival organized by the Campania region and would have marked Gergiev’s first European concert since 2022.